Conventionally, in an IC card processing apparatus for reading and writing information from and on an IC card, its contact elements are brought into contact with a plurality of contacts (generally 4.times.2 rows) formed on one surface of the IC card received to a predetermined position, and signal exchange with a circuit in the IC card is performed through electrical connection between the respective contacts and contact elements.
In this IC card processing apparatus, before the leading end of the IC card passes the positions of the contact elements, the IC card is entered with its one surface being separate from the contact elements so as not to make the leading end of the IC card being inserted push the contact elements to deform them. After the leading end of the IC card passes the positions of the contact elements, the contact elements are urged against the card, or inversely the card is urged against the contact elements, so that the contact elements come into contact with the respective contacts of the IC card.
In order to realize this, conventionally, as shown in, e.g., FIGS. 11A and 11B, an L-shaped pivot lever 11 is arranged above the rear portion of a card guide path 10, and one end side of the pivot lever 11 is allowed to enter the card guide path 10. A plurality of contact elements 12 are formed on the lower surface of the other end side of the pivot lever 11.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11A, the pivot lever 11 is pushed at its one end side by the leading end of an IC card 1 which has entered by being guided along the card guide path 10, so that it is pivoted about a shaft 11a as the center.
As shown in FIG. 11B, the contact elements 12 and the contacts (not shown) of the IC card 1 are brought into contact with each other.
In FIGS. 11A and 11B, a spring 15 biases the pivot lever 11 in a direction to make the contact elements 12 move away from the card guide path 10, and stoppers 16 and 17 regulate rotation of the pivot lever 11.
In the conventional IC card processing apparatus described above, when a warped and deformed IC card 1' is inserted, as shown in FIG. 11C, the contact pressure between the contact elements 12 and IC card 1' largely differs between the rear row and the front row, and causes a contact error or localizes wear of the contact elements. As a result, the service life of the contacts is shortened.
In particular, assume an IC card processing apparatus in which the card guide path is largely opened on the lower surface side to allow a defective card to drop naturally in order to prevent card clogging caused by a defective card shorter than a regular-length card. Since the IC card is guided only with its one end edge in the widthwise direction, the warped of the IC card cannot be sufficiently corrected, and the problem described above becomes more conspicuous.
Even if the IC card itself is not warped, when the IC card inserted to the deep end is further pushed strongly, the card is warped to cause a contact error.